Product Information

Publisher's Description

▼▲

Freedom begins when you stop hiding.

Many of us understand the value of authenticity. Of baring our souls in community. Of admitting our pain and struggles to each other. If we desire to relate authentically with our brothers and sisters in Christ, we must also desire relate honestly with God.

Josh Weidmann, a millennial and world traveler who is dedicated to writing and speaking the truth of the Bible, leads us to examine honesty and its importance in our relationship with God. Using Scripture and stories from his own life, Josh shows us how to be honest with God and truly honest with others. He also helps us identify lies, misunderstandings, and masks that are preventing us from being honest with God.

Honesty with God will free us, heal us, and transform us.

Author Bio

▼▲

JOSH WEIDMANN has traveled the world speaking to churched and un-churched crowds about the truth of the Gospel from the authority of God¿s Word for more than a decade (since his late teen years). Josh started preaching at a young age and soon found himself living out God¿s calling on His life to communicate the Bible through whatever means possible. After the 1999 Columbine high school shooting tragedy in his hometown, God used Josh as a voice of hope to his generation around the nation. Over the last decade, Josh has continued to preach the truth around the world. He has had the privilege of speaking for some well-known ministries such as Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Youth for Christ, and others.His years as a student at Moody Bible Institute served to deepen his understanding of God¿s Word and equipped him for a long-term role in serving the church. Josh has had the privilege of fulfilling several pastoral roles in various churches in Colorado and Illinois, including a recent role as a lead pastor in Aurora, Colorado. He currently serves as the Discipleship pastor of Mission Hills Church in Littleton, CO. He also leads and writes for a web ministry called www.HonestToGod.net. He and his wife, Molly, live in the suburbs of Denver with their two kids and enjoy loving Christ, loving each other, and loving on God¿s people.

However this book is actually pretty good. Summed up in a sentence this book is about: being totally and completely honest with an all knowing GOD. This book is about having the moral courage to literally confess to God what HE already knows. To tell him what's living in the secret rooms of your heart, the things you are embarrassed about. Mind you God is already aware of all these things, yet God still wants us to choose to be honest with HIM.

One thing that I think many of us fail to remember is that our Lord God is a gentleman. He will not force himself upon us. And this is the reason why we need to be totally honest with Him. While HE knows all and sees all, HE still waits for us to say something, to show that we have the integrity to be truthful and that we trust HIM.

Josh Weidmann uses his love for scripture and wonderful ability to craft powerful illustrations to make complex, emotional and theological concepts understandable in this helpful book. His desire is to help you drop every barrier standing between you and God. Why? Because "being honest with God leads to transformation, because it allays our fears and opens our hearts to receive the forgiveness He offers us in Christ Jesus." (Pg 42)

Review

This is the first book I've reviewed that I had no prior knowledge of before it was sent to me. I'll be honest, I chose it because it had a cool cover, and an interesting subtitle ("Becoming brutally honest with a gracious God"). It took me a while to get around to it, but I'm glad I did because there are a lot of good things in this book.

Weidmann's pastoral concern and desire to help us be free from the things that are standing between us and Jesus (fear, shame, deception, pride, etc.) comes through on every page. He is honest and transparent, to the point of being emotionally raw, as he invites us to join him in asking some pretty tough questions and then searching scripture for answers.

I was touched by many chapters in this book. If you look at my notes you will see "this is my favourite chapter" at least four times! His chapter on anger was wonderfully insightful. The chapter on shame was moving. "The Scandal of Grace" will be with me for a long time. "Radical Integrity" is a phrase I will certainly add to my lexicon. Weidmann's greatest strength is his ability to use illustrative stories and powerful metaphors to convey biblically sound and theologically helpful concepts in a meaningful, readily applicable way. And he does it in every chapter!

The last part of the book, "Baring Your Soul for the Sake of Change", is a very practical section which will help anyone who is struggling with doubt, secret sins, fear, or intimacy issues. Don't skip straight to this section because the whole book leads up to it, but don't miss it either because it's extremely helpful.

Conclusion

This book is a perfect introduction for every new believer who wants to know how get honest with God and relate to Him in a deep, personal way Ã¢â¬â and for any mature believers who have forgotten how.

Can we be honest? This book, Honest To God: Becoming Brutally Honest with a Gracious God, will guide you into a life of honesty and therefore into a better relationship with God.

The author, Josh Weidmann, does an excellent job of sharing stories of others working towards total honesty. He describes how it changes their lives and brings them closer to God. One particular story helps you better understand how God can be angry and love. You learn by applying the same principle to your situations. Can you be honest with a loved one who has hurt you? Can you say I am hurt but still love you?

Learning how to be open and honest with God is the best principle you can take away from this book. The author teaches that if you can pray and be honest with God about how you are feeling you can really grow in your relationship with Him.

This book is very straightforward and easy to understand. The author lays out simple steps to being more honest in every situation you find yourself and shows that by doing this you will have a better relationship with God.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the copy of this book I enjoyed reading. I gave an honest review based on my opinion of what I read.